After the chaotic press release, Claire and Matthew made their way toward the buffet room. The space was quiet, almost too quiet for a major event like the one that had just unfolded.

A few of Frank's business partners milled around, looking either bored or uncomfortable, but mostly avoiding eye contact with each other.

The food spread, on the other hand, was impressive-fruits, cheeses, mini sandwiches, and the like. Claire grabbed a few grapes, popping them into her mouth, while Matthew shot her a smirk. Matthew leaned over to Claire, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well, that went very well, huh?"

Claire chuckled lightly and picked up a small plate of fruit, shaking her head. "I should congratulate Frank for his bravery, you know? The way he boldly called Metacortex inferior, I mean-Venus AMD's the only one with the guts to call out Metacortex like that. It's so bold." she said, her voice full of playful amusement.

Matthew raised an eyebrow as he plucked a grape from the bowl. "Yeah, that's definitely one way to put it," he said, chewing on the fruit thoughtfully.

Matthew took a grape and chewed thoughtfully, shaking his head. "You really do know how to play the game, don't you?"

Claire gave him a sly smile. "It's all about making the right impression," she said, eyes scanning the room with practiced coolness.

Matthew popped a grape in his mouth, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, definitely. His marketing team must be thrilled with that one." He grinned at her as Claire selected more fruit, clearly enjoying the moment.

Just then, one of Frank's business partners approached. A tall, well-dressed man with an air of importance stepped up to Claire, smiling broadly.

"I have to say, Ms. Peterson," he began, his voice warm with appreciation, "I don't think anyone else would've stepped in like that to save Frank's little fiasco earlier. If you hadn't intervened, who knows how much worse it could've gotten."

Claire smiled politely, though her eyes twinkled with mischief. "I just did what anyone else would've done," she replied casually, as though it was no big deal. "I didn't want to see anyone get hurt."

The man nodded, clearly impressed. "Still, very few would've done it, especially given the rivalry between Venus AMD and Metacortex. You've got guts," he said, offering her an approving look before moving off to chat with someone else.

A few more people trickled over, joining the conversation. They were all throwing her compliments, praising her for being so generous toward her competitors. Claire noticed a lot of them seemed genuinely surprised that she helped at all, considering how much Frank had bad-mouthed Metacortex in his presentation.

One person remarked, "It's rare to see a competitor step in to help like that. Usually, people just let their enemies fall, but not you. Very classy."

Claire simply shrugged and flashed a smile, "It's fine. I don't want to see anyone get hurt, no matter who they're working for."

Meanwhile, Frank stood at the entrance of the buffet room, staring into the scene before him. He had taken a deep breath before entering, hoping for a little peace after the chaos of the press release. Instead, he walked into the sight of his business partners all gathered around Claire, laughing and chatting with her like they'd known her for years.

"Why is she even here?" he muttered to himself in annoyance.

A fake smile tugged at Frank's lips, and he made his way toward the group. He had barely taken a few steps when he overheard one of his business partners say, "You know, I've been thinking. Maybe in the future, it'd be worth partnering with Metacortex instead. They seem to have a better handle on things."

Frank's smile faltered, his face heating with barely contained rage. Why is it always Claire? he thought, frustration simmering beneath the surface. The nerves of these people. I'm the one who's supposed to be impressing them!

As he reached the group, Claire turned her head and greeted him with a smug smile. "Congrats on the press release, Frank," she said sweetly. "It was brave of you to call out Metacortex like that. Not many have the guts to say it." Frank gritted his teeth, trying to mask the snarky remark he wanted to make. "Thanks," he said, forcing the words out with a tight smile. He turned to his business partners, trying to regain some control over the situation.

"We hope you all enjoyed the demo," he began, his tone a little more strained than he intended. "I apologize for the earlier mishap with the robot. We'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

But the business partners weren't having it. One of them spoke up, voice flat and unimpressed, "Frank, your robot earlier could've hurt someone. What if it started throwing random things at the audience? That's not something you can just overlook." Another partner nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think we'll need to have a talk about that later."

The conversation quickly turned sour, and the partners began to disperse, leaving Frank standing there, fuming. Claire had a smug smile on her face, but she didn't say anything. She just took a sip of her tea and looked at him with amusement." "You know," she said casually, "It's fine. Mistakes happen. Just take a deep breath. You'll survive this one."

Frank clenched his fists, trying not to let his anger explode. "You ruined my exhibition," he said, voice tight with rage. "Why did you have to play the superhero?"

Claire raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a playful smile. "A thanks' would've sufficed," she said coolly. "I was just helping you out since you had that desperate look on your face."noveldrama

Frank's face flushed with anger, his jaw clenching. If he could've thrown hands, he would've. Instead, he stood there, barely holding himself together.

Claire didn't back down. She tilted

her head slightly and smirked. "I'l give you props for your confidence though," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Especially calling out Metacortex. But maybe next time, keep it in check? You don't want to embarrass yourself again,

Frank glared at her, his eyes like daggers. "I will beat you for that," he growled, his voice low and threatening.

Claire simply smiled, unfazed. "I'll be waiting," she replied with a wink before turning to leave the room.

Matthew, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow at Frank, who was fuming. But he didn't say anything. Claire had already made her exit, leaving Frank to stew in his frustration.

Frank stood there for a moment,

ne'

taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. But all he could think about was how Claire seemed to have a knack for ruining his plans. She was like a tiny, annoying bug just when he thought he had everything under control, there she was, making his life difficult.

He took a deep breath, trying to release some of the tension in his body. It didn't help.

Claire was still out there, getting all the attention, and he was stuck cleaning up the mess. "Dammit," Frank muttered under his breath. "She really knows how to get under my skin."

The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!